Cook I

Sonesta International Hotels Corporation; New Orleans, Northern (LA, KY); Hybrid; USD 19,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

HSA with Match

401(k) with Match

Paid Vacation

Parental Leave

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Education Assistance

Hotel Discounts

Job summary

Sonesta International Hotels Corporation is seeking a friendly, detail-oriented Cook to join our New Orleans culinary team. You’ll prepare fresh, high-quality meals for restaurant service, banquets, and events, ensuring consistency and speed in a fast-paced hotel kitchen.

Working with a collaborative culinary team, you’ll follow recipes, uphold food safety standards, and support daily kitchen operations. This role offers growth opportunities within a dynamic hospitality portfolio in New Orleans.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Previous kitchen or restaurant experience preferred.
• Knowledge of food safety standards and sanitation.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook menu items according to recipes and standards.
• Support daily kitchen operations across dining and events.
• Assist with prep tasks, plating, and station setup.
• Maintain clean, organized workstations and food safety compliance.
• Collaborate with chefs and F&B staff to deliver guest experiences.

Skills

Cooking

Food preparation

Food safety

Teamwork

Attention to detail

Multi-tasking

Communication

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Grills

Ovens

Mixers

Slicers

Job description

We’re People People. Are you? We’re Sonesta International Hotels—the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S. (and growing fast). With a dynamic mix of full-service and focused hotels across major cities, our diverse portfolio of owned, managed, and franchised properties means we’re everywhere our guests need us to be. But here’s the thing—we’re not just in the business of hotels, we’re in the business of people. We bring service with passion, loyalty with purpose, and create experiences that genuinely connect—delivering quality, value, and memorable stays across 1,000+ properties in eight countries (and counting).

What this role is all about

Great food helps create great stays. As a Cook, you’ll play an important role in delivering fresh, high-quality meals and memorable dining experiences for our guests across restaurant service, banquets, catering, breakfast operations, and special events. This role is perfect for someone who enjoys working in a fast-paced kitchen environment, takes pride in food preparation, and loves being part of a collaborative culinary team. You’ll help prepare and present menu items with consistency, efficiency, and attention to detail while supporting smooth daily kitchen operations. If you’re dependable, team-focused, passionate about food, and ready to grow your culinary career in hospitality — we’d love to meet you.

What you’ll be doing

• Prepare and cook menu items according to recipes, portioning guidelines, presentation standards, and food safety requirements.
• Support daily kitchen operations across restaurant dining, breakfast service, banquets, catering, room service, and special events.
• Assist with food preparation tasks including chopping, prepping ingredients, cooking, plating, and station setup.
• Maintain consistency, quality, and presentation standards across all food items and guest orders.
• Ensure kitchen workstations remain clean, organized, stocked, and operational throughout shifts.
• Follow food safety regulations, sanitation standards, HACCP guidelines, and health department requirements at all times.
• Monitor food inventory levels and communicate supply or prep needs to culinary leadership.
• Operate kitchen equipment safely and properly including grills, fryers, ovens, slicers, mixers, and prep tools.
• Support banquet and catering functions by preparing food for meetings, events, weddings, and group dining experiences.
• Collaborate closely with chefs, kitchen team members, and Food & Beverage staff to deliver exceptional guest experiences.
• Assist with minimizing food waste, maintaining kitchen efficiency, and supporting operational goals.
• Help create a positive, safe, and team-focused kitchen environment aligned with Sonesta’s People People culture.
• Any other duties as assigned.

What great looks like

• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Previous cooking, restaurant, hotel, culinary, banquet, catering, or food service experience preferred.
• Knowledge of food preparation techniques, kitchen operations, food safety standards, and sanitation procedures.
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen environment.
• Strong attention to detail with a commitment to food quality, consistency, and presentation.
• Ability to follow recipes, prep schedules, and kitchen procedures accurately.
• Strong teamwork, communication, and organizational skills.
• Flexible availability including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed in a hospitality environment.
• A passion for hospitality, teamwork, food preparation, and creating memorable dining experiences for guests.

Anticipated Pay Range & Additional Job Information

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with Company Match
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match
• Paid Vacation & Sick Time
• Paid Parental Leave
• Company-Paid Life Insurance
• Company-Paid Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness & Accident Insurance
• Educational Assistance
• Sonesta Hotel Discounts (yes, you’ll want to use these)
• Additional Perks & Employee Discounts

Our Commitment to You

Sonesta is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We actively support professional growth and personal happiness in each of our employees at each of our hotels, resorts, suites and cruise ships. We seek out people who will eagerly partner with us to improve the overall Sonesta experience for our guests, and the overall Sonesta experience for their fellow colleagues.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.